At 73, Fred Partida has seen his share of urban blight, especially since he began volunteering to paint out graffiti in Lincoln Heights. "I've been cleaning up graffiti since 1945," he said. "Back then, they didn't call it graffiti. They called it vandalism." Partida, a retired painter and lifelong Montecito Heights resident, heads a crew that will continue graffiti abatement and also pick up trash and steam-clean sidewalks as part of the new Lincoln Heights Beautification Project.

Five months after her daughter was severely injured by a drunk driver in a crosswalk, Beatrice Gonzales has suspended her push for a traffic light at the intersection and instead is focusing her energy on establishing a neighborhood youth group.

The entry area of Bruce Gray's home is perfectly suited for laying a nice clean bead with a MIG welder. The walls are rusty corrugated aluminum, the floor is concrete, and the front door could accommodate a full-size pickup. With railroad spikes and gas canisters spilling into his frontyard, Gray's decor might raise an eyebrow in some neighborhoods. But not here, not at the Brewery.

The fourth summer of Con Sabor Latino, a bilingual lineup of cultural, theatrical, musical and performance events at Plaza de la Raza in Lincoln Park, continues through August. "This is to bring talent into the community," said Rose Cano, director of programming at the plaza. "There is nothing like this in the community, so because we have the venue we have it here. We built the outdoor stage four years ago and so we started this then."

The Bilingual Foundation of the Arts is retrenching, at least for now. Since late 1999, the Lincoln Heights-based company has presented half of its shows at Los Angeles Theatre Center, in much larger quarters than the company's 98-seat home base, complete with Actors' Equity contracts for the casts. The group's fall production of "Salon Mexico" had been announced for LATC, but now it has been moved back to the smaller theater, for financial reasons.

A man was in critical condition after a shooting Sunday afternoon in Lincoln Heights, police said. Los Angeles Police Officer Sara Faden said a man in his mid-20s was shot multiple times in the 2700 block of Darwin Avenue at about 12:10 p.m. The man, who has not been identified, was taken to a hospital, where he was in critical condition. -- Ari B. Bloomekatz

A mural depicting historical sites near Albion Street Elementary School will be dedicated at 9:30 a.m. Thursday with a ceremony at the school at 322 S. Ave. 18. The mural, by artist Jerry Rodriguez, locates historical places within one mile of the school: Olvera Street, Rancho San Rafael and the railroads that brought the Italian immigrants who later settled in Lincoln Heights. The mural graces the facade of the school auditorium.

The Community Redevelopment Agency on Thursday approved a $148,116 grant for a graffiti and litter cleanup program aimed at boosting retail activity on Broadway and other commercial districts of Lincoln Heights. "By sprucing up the physical appearance of Lincoln Heights, local merchants will be able to attract more shoppers and ring up more sales," said City Councilman Mike Hernandez.

The Community Redevelopment Agency has approved $148,116 for street cleanup and graffiti removal in Lincoln Heights. The funds, approved by the agency April 15, will cover salaries and administrative costs to hire a crew of four to pick up trash along streets, sidewalks and alleys and to remove graffiti from walls and public facilities, such as bus stop benches. The crew will use a street cleaner to scour heavy grime from sidewalks.

The Los Angeles Conservancy and the Lincoln Heights Neighborhood and Preservation Assn. will present a 70-year retrospective Wednesday about historical murals in the local community. According to the conservancy, the history of murals in Lincoln Heights dates to the 1930s, starting with projects at Lincoln High School by noted Work Projects Administration artist Manuel de las Torres and at County-USC Medical Center by Hugo Ballin.